Kevin Campbell: Arsenal, Everton and Nottingham Forest hero dies aged 54

06/15/2024 05:29 AM

Former Arsenal and Everton star Kevin Campbell has tragically died at the age of 54.

It emerged earlier this month that Campbell was seriously ill in hospital, and the sad news of his passing was confirmed on Saturday morning.

An Arsenal statement read: “We are devastated to learn that our former striker Kevin Campbell has died after a short illness.

“Kevin was adored by everyone at the club. All of us are thinking of his friends and family at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Kevin.”

A striker, Campbell made 542 club appearances and scored 148 goals across a lengthy career which saw him win trophies with Arsenal and earn legendary status at Everton.

Campbell was also admired by fans of Nottingham Forest, whom he helped fire to promotion to the Premier League, and played in the top-flight for West Brom too.

Born in Lambeth, London, Campbell started his football journey as a trainee with Arsenal.

He progressed through the club’s youth set-up before moving into the first team, making his debut in 1988.

After loan stints at Leyton Orient and Leicester City, Campbell became a key member of the squad at Arsenal and and played an important part in their title-winning campaign in 1990/91.

He also scored crucial goals for Arsenal as they won the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992/93.

In the 1993/94 season, Campbell scored 19 times and was a key part of the squad which lifted the 1993/94 European Cup Winners’ Cup trophy.

He made 226 appearances for the Gunners in total, netting 60 times, before moving to Nottingham Forest in 1995 for a fee of £2.5million.

After two years in the Premier League, Forest suffered relegation but Campbell stuck around and scoring 22 goals to help the club earn an immediate promotion back to the top division.

A surprise and controversial move to Tranzonspor followed, but his stay in Turkey was abrupt as he left just seven months later to return to English football with Everton.

Everton were battling relegation when Campbell joined on loan, in March 1999, and he proved a critical signing by scoring nine goals in eight games to keep them up.

That earned him instant hero status at Goddison Park and he went on to spend five seasons with Everton, scoring 50 goals in 160 appearances.

Since then, Campbell has embarked on a career in the media and has regularly been seen as a pundit on Sky Sports, while also watching his son, Tyrese Campbell, in action for Stoke City.

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